My Longevity Simulation Chapter 1295: Shadow of the Path to Immortal Ascension

“The Dao of Contention...” The Holy Emperor pondered deeply, sensing the surging energy within Tianyang’s remains.

After a long while, he let out a deep breath.

“A Dao may lead to Immortal Ascension, but it does not align with me.”

There was not much regret in the Holy Emperor’s tone as he withdrew from the Tianyang armor state.

Returning the remains, Li Ping instructed Tianyang, “Since the Dao of Contention is vacant, this resonant skeletal remnant is an absolutely rare treasure for you. Study it well. Although the Immortal Dao does not manifest in this era, since the resonance still exists, that means the Dao itself remains.”

“Given enough time, you may truly be able to achieve the realm of a True Immortal through this.”

Daoist Yi Jue of the Du'e Sect stared eagerly as Tianyang put away the skeletal remains, then stuffed his long eyeballs back into the passage once more.

“What a pity, what a pity...” Daoist Yi Jue sighed repeatedly.

“And what profound insight does the Du'e Sect Master have now?” Tianyang was clearly displeased by Yi Jue’s behavior.

Daoist Yi Jue shook his head and chuckled. “I merely lament that the Du'e Sect missed a great opportunity. As the saying goes, when one attains the Dao, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven. If the great Holy Emperor had comprehended the lingering intent, perhaps one day he truly could have attained the Great Dao. Then we might have benefited as well.”

“As for you...”

“Perhaps such a day may come. But our Du'e Sect likely will not live to see it.”

His words made no effort to conceal his pessimism regarding Tianyang’s chances of becoming an Immortal.

This time, however, Tianyang was not provoked by the Du'e Sect’s taunts. He merely sensed the faint unwillingness to admit defeat lingering within his skeletal remains, as though he had returned to the days when he still possessed a human body.

But perhaps because he had now become a puppet, even after trying for a long time, Tianyang could not rekindle the hot blood within his heart.

Even the eight words, “Tianyang’s life is inferior to no one,” sounded different than before when spoken aloud.

For a time, silence filled the Holy Emperor Hall.

But before long, activity below from the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance drew their attention.

Flashes of light appeared as a group of grim cultivators dressed in black emerged at the moonlight boundary of Tianquan Prefecture.

They first gave a slight salute toward the Mirror Holder in the sky, then with solemn expressions began preparing spells and techniques against the still unbroken Bright Moon Starlight Grand Formation.

It seemed as though they would launch a full assault against the grand formation at the very next moment.

Various techniques were indeed unleashed, but the corresponding manifestations seemed as though time itself had been frozen, suspended in midair.

Purple spears like heavenly thunder, twisted spatial rifts, endless streams of yellow talismans.

All were activated, then gathered together.

Waiting only for a breach to be torn open in the Bright Moon Starlight Grand Formation before erupting all at once.

The black-clothed cultivators of the Immortal Alliance took turns converting the power within their bodies into techniques, accumulating them.

Several hours passed, and batch after batch of black-clothed cultivators were replaced.

The accumulated attacks at the formation boundary had reached a truly terrifying level.

Even the Holy Emperor’s face showed a trace of gravity.

Without question, if this frozen sphere of gathered power exploded on the surface of the Xuanhuang Realm, it could easily reduce several prefectures to ruins.

“I will go.” Tianyang was just about to step forward and eliminate this hidden threat, but Li Ping stopped him.

“Wait a little longer. I have my own way of dealing with it,” Li Ping said gravely.

Tianyang nodded slightly and did not act rashly.

Another half day passed.

In total, more than a thousand full power attacks had been infused.

The condensed sphere of light had become even more dazzling than the bright moon in the sky.

Even that Mirror Holder seemed to feel a trace of apprehension.

The mark on his forehead released a small ancient bronze mirror, covering himself, the nine Dissociation Discs, and the shadows of the other secondary bodies within its protection.

Within the Dissociation Discs, the shifting projections produced by formation analysis rapidly transformed, finally producing results.

From time to time, a strand of multicolored thread flew out toward Lu Xichan nearby.

After Lu Xichan comprehended the contents of these threads, her body trembled slightly, revealing an expression of utter fascination.

She then transmitted her insights to the formation masters present, drawing repeated exclamations of amazement.

At this moment, when they looked at the Bright Moon Starlight Grand Formation before them, their eyes no longer held the despair from before.

Under Lu Xichan’s leadership, the formation masters began breaking the formation.

The moonlight, originally as solid as silver silk, gradually became hazy under the influence of external forces.

The Holy Emperor sensed that these Immortal Alliance formation masters were like tiny insects continuously gnawing at the foundations of the Bright Moon Starlight Grand Formation.

Certainly, Li Ping could further adjust the formation.

And he was confident that the combined deciphering speed of the twenty-eight Dissociation Discs could never surpass the speed at which he could alter the formation. If the Immortal Alliance had no additional special methods, he could rely on formations alone to trap them for an entire lifetime.

But...

His goal had never simply been to trap them.

The arrangements he had left outside the Xuanhuang Realm informed him that the star sea had begun to stir.

The struggle between the restorative force of the reviving star sea and the remnants of immortal power was about to officially begin.

The Holy Emperor, who had remained seated all this time, slowly rose.

With a single thought, his majestic figure was projected across the heavenly curtain of Xuanhuang.

As if in mutual coordination, the Great Qi Holy Dynasty, which resembled a bright moon, dimmed slightly, yielding the stage to the Holy Emperor of Great Qi.

The moment Li Ping’s image appeared, the soldiers battling across the various prefectures of the Immortal Alliance instantly became fevered with excitement and battle intent.

They shouted in unison, “Welcome, Holy Emperor!”

The mountain-shaking, sea-roaring cries echoed endlessly across the lands of Xuanhuang.

The captured and besieged cultivators of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance looked fearfully at the towering figure in the heavens, yet involuntarily thought of the many legends regarding the Immortal Alliance’s Dharma-Transmitting Immortal Ancestor.

“At this very moment, where exactly is the Immortal Ancestor?”

And those Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance cultivators who were still fighting like trapped beasts were all left stunned and absent-minded upon witnessing that figure filling their entire field of vision.

"Long ago, Immortal Ancestor attained the Dao, spread his teachings to all living beings, and created the glorious thousand-year great age of cultivation."

"But the Immortal Ancestor method acts against heaven itself. Heaven and earth are what nurture cultivators. To devour heaven and earth is like murdering one's father and slaughtering one's mother."

"It is not the righteous path."

...

The Holy Emperor's voice echoed throughout the Xuanhuang Realm.

Blessed by the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao, it was transmitted with perfect clarity into the ears of every living being still alive.

At first, the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance cultivators did not understand what this Holy Emperor of Great Qi intended to do.

But when they heard the words "It is not the righteous path," their expressions changed drastically.

The Mirror Holder guarding the Dissociation Disc wore a dark expression.

In the Central Four Prefectures, lights continuously flashed. Those were the high-ranking Immortal Alliance officials who had remained stationed at headquarters, finally enraged.

To slander the Immortal Ancestor Heavenly Sovereign was to slander the entire Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance.

It was to shake the legitimacy and very foundation of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance's rule.

To the high ranks of the Immortal Alliance, the consequences of this matter were even more severe than losing all territory in the other prefectures.

After all, territory could be won back.

But once people's hearts changed...

"Break the formation. Break it immediately!"

Beside Lu Xichan's ear came Dharma-Transmitter Ren's furious roar.

The Immortal Alliance formation masters all fell silent like frightened cicadas and began working desperately.

Yet while attempting to break the formation, they could not help but secretly listen to that voice descending from the highest heavens.

Accompanied by the many sacred phenomena continuously appearing across the sky, it spread toward every corner of the Xuanhuang Realm.

"I too possess a method. Without borrowing the power of heaven and earth, one may still walk the immortal path."

"Namely, Foundation Establishment through Oneelf, Primordial Unity Golden Core, Corporeal Nascent Soul, Consciousness Soul Transformation..."

"Star Sea Dao Integration..."

"Dao Resonance Longevity..."

The Holy Emperor's words struck like thunder beneath a clear sky, resounding between heaven and earth throughout the Xuanhuang Realm.

They had already drawn the attention of every cultivator.

After all, just from the names alone, the Holy Emperor's method sounded far superior to the Immortal Ancestor method.

Combined with the auspicious signs of drifting multicolored clouds and flashing golden radiance throughout heaven and earth, cultivators became dazed.

The last time the Xuanhuang Realm had witnessed a supreme expert preaching the Dao was the Dharma Transmitting Immortal Sage thousands of years ago.

After the Immortal Ancestor method was validated by the world, the then Dao Integration realm Dharma Transmitting Immortal Sage became the Longevity Immortal realm Dharma Transmitting Heavenly Sovereign.

If this new method was truly viable, would that not mean the Xuanhuang Realm was about to produce another peerless existence capable of standing against Immortal Ancestor?

Surrendering to bandits of unknown origin might lead to future reckoning by the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance.

But if one joined under this Holy Emperor instead...

A strange atmosphere began spreading among the Immortal Alliance cultivators.

The Holy Emperor's preaching continued.

"The first step upon the immortal path is Foundation Establishment through Oneself."

"Borrowing the wonders of heaven and earth can establish one's foundation. Why? Because wondrous objects of the world are manifestations of laws."

"Yet the most wondrous thing in existence is not an object, but spirit."

"Foundation Establishment through Oneself shall establish the countless principles of the world within oneself."

...

The originally profoundly mysterious method of Foundation Establishment through Oneself became simple and easy to understand as the Holy Emperor explained it calmly.

At this moment, even ordinary mortals in the Xuanhuang Realm who had never stepped onto the cultivation path could vaguely understand the general meaning.

There was no need to mention those Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance cultivators who had already successfully walked the Immortal Ancestor path once before.

The Holy Emperor's new method was essentially built upon the foundation of the Immortal Ancestor method, then shattered its shackles and underwent complete rebirth.

Naturally, the Immortal Alliance cultivators who practiced the Immortal Ancestor method found it extremely familiar.

Just by listening, thoughts such as "So that is how it is," "This is indeed feasible," and "Wonderful" arose in their hearts in agreement.

Some Immortal Alliance cultivators who had happened to reach the peak of Qi Condensation and were attempting to break through into Foundation Establishment, yet had been troubled by not finding a suitable Foundation Establishment wondrous object, suddenly came to enlightenment.

As if divinely inspired, they became wildly excited.

"Why waste all that effort searching for some wondrous object? The Holy Emperor is right. I myself am the wondrous object!"

"Foundation Establishment. Foundation Establishment!"

They immediately entered seclusion on the spot to comprehend it.

Although the Foundation Establishment through Oneself method was not easy to cultivate in practice, the Xuanhuang Realm had the greatest number of Qi Condensation cultivators.

With such an enormous base, even multiplying by the tiniest probability still resulted in thousands upon thousands.

Before the Holy Emperor had even finished explaining the middle section of the Primordial Unity Golden Core, new method cultivators using Foundation Establishment through Oneself had already begun appearing across the Xuanhuang lands.

Their breakthrough treatment was completely different from Immortal Ancestor cultivators.

After breaking through, heaven and earth spiritual energy surged into their bodies wildly and spontaneously, as if they truly were the destined protagonists of legend, favored by the Heavenly Dao.

There were even a few whose breakthroughs were accompanied by rays of heavenly radiance descending from the sky.

Within those rays were various heavenly treasures and earthly wonders, like gifts from heaven and earth themselves.

The difference in heaven and earth's attitude was so vast that other cultivators could not help but grow envious.

Cultivators at the Golden Core realm and above might still harbor some hesitation.

But Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment cultivators had no burden whatsoever in dispersing their cultivation and starting over.

After all, even if this Holy Emperor's new method proved impossible to cultivate, as long as their Foundation Establishment wondrous object remained, they could start over at any time.

After dispersing their cultivation, they temporarily stored away their wondrous objects.

Then they focused entirely on cultivating the Foundation Establishment through Oneself method.

The number of Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Xuanhuang Realm far exceeded the combined total of cultivators in all other realms.

Even if only one out of ten among them chose the Holy Emperor's new method...

For the Dharma Transmitting Heavenly Sovereign and the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, it would be an unimaginably massive blow.

Aside from Dharma-Transmitter Ren, the other Dharma-Transmitters could no longer remain seated.

Because within Immortal Alliance headquarters, experiments had already proven the genuine feasibility of the Foundation Establishment through Oneself method.

If this Holy Emperor were allowed to continue preaching...

All the high-ranking Immortal Alliance cultivators shuddered involuntarily.

Immortal Alliance Nether Prison.

Within the deepest part of the space imprisoning several thousand vicious criminals.

A figure that seemed to be nothing but dry bones remained suspended in the void, limbs spread wide in the shape of a cross, nailed in place.

Looking closely, every single bone in the figure’s body seemed to be constantly scorched by blazing flames, struck by thunderbolts, gnawed upon by strange insects.

Pain beyond description, yet this figure seemed long accustomed to it, his expression calm.

Or rather, his face, nearly nothing more than a skull, could no longer display any expression at all.

At this moment, amid the suffering of his countless bodily torments, he slightly raised his head.

His pitch-black eye sockets pierced through layer upon layer of the Nether Prison’s space, gazing toward the heavens of the Xuanhuang Realm.

"With me as Foundation Establishment..."

"With me as Foundation Establishment..."

A black flame, like a long serpent, emerged from the void.

It flew directly toward him, piercing through his chest in an instant.

The black flame passed through his heart, yet some remained at the wound, burning the figure’s remaining flesh, withered bones.

Even his remnant soul.

Even with the figure’s endurance, he could not suppress a muffled groan.

"With me as Foundation Establishment, with me as Foundation Establishment..."

Yet he continued muttering without pause, faint starlight seeming to ignite within his black eye sockets.

For a very long time, aside from pain, no other sensation had appeared in his heart.

But now, he faintly saw a sliver of hope.

A chance to escape.

How long had he been imprisoned?

Within the sunless Nether Prison, he had nearly forgotten the concept of time.

But judging from the injuries his body had suffered, it should have been a full five hundred years.

After the misfortune of being captured and imprisoned here, he had abandoned all thoughts of escape.

After all, every bit of his power had already been drained dry by the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance.

Even if he somehow escaped this place by luck, he would still be unable to evade the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance’s pursuit, much less find the road back.

But now, through this voice reaching the deepest parts of the Nether Prison, perhaps he could truly leave this place.

"Every fragment of pain is built upon my body."

"All of it is felt by me."

"The source of pain is me."

"I establish my foundation..."

Specks of golden light began to flicker in response to the figure’s words.

These golden lights seemed to come from the few withered bones the figure still possessed.

They had remained hidden all this time, only being triggered now in this desperate final gamble.

Amid cracking sounds, the golden light became like flames, baking the withered bones.

The withered bones melted like candles, but after cooling and condensing, they formed a somewhat smaller body that had returned to a normal shape.

The surrounding restrictions sensed the figure’s abnormal movement.

Punishments were continuously triggered, striking down upon him.

But the figure had long since grown accustomed to it, even absorbing these punitive methods and transforming them into energy to temper his new body.

Under the golden radiance, the figure be